You and me both Tinne! I thought PMac would never see the light, but when we saw him in Cinci after the guys won he said, "You guys might have to start planning a trip soon, huh?" We were like "!!!!!" lol

Yep, he pretty much told us that Mike and Bob were on the team and we were SO excited! Just didn't want to say anything until it was made official. YAY Mike and Bob!

Yeah, PMac said in June that he would probably pick Mike and Bob for this upcoming DC tie if they won the French Open, which they did, especially because it will be on clay. Anyway, it's nice to get a confirmation like that. Congrats to the brothers! You two totally deserve it. And best of all, ESPN will have coverage for us.

Aw you are lucky getting tv coverage! And well, I read that PMac said he would strongly consider the bros after they had won the French.... but to be honest.... he has been 'considering' them for a long time now, so I wasn't getting hopes up to high... But yay! for Patrick for getting them on the team this time! Better late than never...

Bryan Twins Look to Double Their Pleasure in Another Grand Slam
by Elizabeth Schatz
Thursday, August 28, 2003

It is not easy to interview Mike and Bob Bryan.

The identical twins and doubles partners - distinguishable on the court because Bob is left-handed - stand at 6’3” (Mike) and 6’4” (Bob), making it more than tricky to pay attention to the words coming out of their mouths (with equal articulateness, having both attended Stanford for two years) and simultaneously look down at their players badges to figure out who’s who.

The Bryans have no sympathy for a befuddled reporter. They have too much to talk about.

Although they are playing in their ninth US Open, the 25-year-old twins from Camarillo, Calif., are undeniably in the midst of the best year of their careers. They have four titles so far in 2003, capped off with a French Open championship. They are seeded No. 2 at this year’s US Open.

But the biggest excitement came last week, when Davis Cup captain Patrick McEnroe named them to the team for the first time. They are only the second set of brothers to play on the same U.S. Davis Cup team, and the last pair, Robert and George Wrenn, played in 1903.

“We’re pumped up,” said Bob. “That was our big goal, to play Davis Cup for our country. Our most fun experiences have been on teams.”

“We had to win a grand slam to get noticed,” said Mike.

With a win today over fellow Americans Jan-Michael Gambill and Travis Parrott, the brothers are one step closer to another, and winning it in the US would just be icing on the cake. Not to mention a sweet deal for their fans, who are growing in number even without relentless marketing and show court appearances (although the Bryans do play in a band that often generates more buzz than their tennis, especially when Andy Roddick guest stars).

By 3:45pm today, the stands surrounding Court 4 – an out-of-the-way practice court for most of the day – were jammed with fans waiting for the 4:00 p.m. match.

One woman, well past her teeny-bopper years, was tugging at her husband’s sleeve, pleading, “I can’t miss the Bryans.”

“We’ve been here since three o'clock!” boasted another man in the bleachers.

Young boys crowded the front seats, a few with brothers by their sides.

The Gambill/Parrott team had their supporters as well, including Gambill’s younger brother, 21-year-old Torrey, who at one point in the second set called the twins “creatures, drones.” But despite Gambill’s wicked returns, the unseeded pair went down 6-4, 6-2. The Bryans utilize their twin sensibilities on the court, barely having to speak, knowing without fail what the other will do. And they usually give the crowd a token “Bryan bump,” leaping to crash bellies together after a big point, although today there was only knocking of knuckles.

“It gives us a little extra edge,” said Mike of being twins. “I know where Bob will hit the ball every time.” Waiting for a serve from their opponents, they even bounce from foot to foot in an uncanny rhythm, looking a bit like prancing show dogs. And as if on cue, their coach yelled to his charges, “Go get it, boys, go get it.”

The twins’ remarkable coverage of the court made Gambill and Parrott’s hard hitting a moot point.

“We’ve been playing Jan-Michael since we were 10 years old. But there’s a little extra fire playing in America. There’s a lot of energy,” said Mike.

With the next match still a day away, the brothers have another battle to fight. Specifically, who is going to get the master bedroom in the house they just bought in their hometown.

“It has a steam shower,” said one.

“It’s huge,” said the other.

But it isn’t time to go home yet. Especially now that they get recognized walking the grounds.

“They don’t get the exposure they deserve,” said Elyssa Goldberg, 23, a New York native who parked herself on the sideline with a friend after they noticed that the tan, baby-faced Bryans were “very good looking.” Mike would be happy to hear it, having complained, “We’re always attractive to the 13, 14 and 15-year-olds. We wish they were a little older.”

And the hotshots from the top of the draw are taking notice, too.

“We’re seeing the guys on tour more often. They’re giving us more respect,” said Bob. “And it’s not looking so scary anymore.”

Sorry to say that at the US Open last night I didn't get to watch the Srebotnik/Bryan mixed dubs match! As soon as I entered the grounds I rushed over to Court #15, where they were scheduled to play, but saw that there were no players on court. I think they had already finished by the time I got there. But, there's hope left. I'm going back on Monday and hopefully the scheduling will work out right and I'll be able to see Bob and Mike, in doubles or mixed. *crosses fingers* I still had a blast watching the tennis. I had the pleasure of watching Davenport win, along with Krasnoroutskaya/Nestor in a terrific mixed match against Hantuchova/Ullyett, and then saw Sargsian outlast Delic 7-5 in the 5th in a thriller over on the rowdy Grandstand court!

NEW YORK — It all appears so seamless. The shifts, the rotations, the constant fluid movement.

No words are exchanged. No glances or signs are needed.

It's the same way while ordering dinner, buying clothes or deciding which song to play during a gig.

It's a twin thing. And there is little doubt it has helped elevate the Camarillo doubles team of Mike and Bob Bryan to the No. 1 ranking in the world.

"It's not magic. But just because we have the same DNA and we have been through all the same experiences and raised the same way, we react the exact same to pretty much everything. We say the same stuff and just know what the other is thinking," said Bob.

"We don't really have to communicate too much because he knows where I am going to hit it and vice versa," said Mike. "That is what makes us a good doubles team."

Mike is the older of the 25-year-old identical twins by two minutes. They are a mirror image when on opposite sides of the net, with Mike being a righty and Bob a lefty. But they rarely venture from the same half of the court, having been a doubles duo since age 6.

"We know that we are never going to back out on each other," said Bob. "Out here (on the tour) you see a lot of guys, when one has a bad day, go into the locker room saying its the other's fault and then dumping each other. We are never going to talk badly about each other."

The experience is similar to that of former professional twin doubles players Tom and the late Tim Gullikson, whose advice the Bryans often sought while growing up.

"Being twins is closer than brothers. There is some kind of telepathic thing going on. I knew Tim's favorite shots and where he would be on the court," said Tom. "Once the ball was in play, we felt like we could outmanuever just about any team in the world. I see that in Mike and Bob."

And if anyone needed further proof about the unique bond and sixth sense of twins, just sit down and conduct separate interviews with the Bryans. Ninety percent of the transcripts could pass as carbon copies.

Being twins also makes the Bryans highly recognizable on tour even when fans may not know their names or much else about them. A common utterance heard during practice sessions at the U.S. Open has been, "Those are those twins."

Distinguishing them on the court is the easy part, but take the rackets out of their hands and it gets a little trickier. Most close acquantancies can tell them apart (some cheat and use the beads Bob wears around his neck), but the Bryans have still managed to pull a few of those infamous twin pranks.

"No one can really tell our voices apart. So I'd be in the shower and my (ex) girlfriend would call and Mike would talk to her for like 25 minutes and pretend he was me," said Bob. "Then, I would just grab the phone like I was talking the whole time."

Girlfriends seem to be the prime targets for the most of the tricks the Bryans remember. When they were at Stanford, Mike's girlfriend walked into their dorm room and planted a big kiss on Bob from behind while he was seated at the computer.

"I just kept typing and went along with it. Mike walked in the room and she was baffled, but I just kept smiling," said Bob.

They have also used the twin appearance to gain a financial advantage.

"We used to have one insurance for us when we were driving, so whenever I would drive I would just grab Bob's license," said Mike. "I never had insurance, so we didn't have to pay for two of them."

But Mike didn't drive very much while the Bryans were growing up. He usually left that to Bob. So when Mike finally decided to exert his independence in the car 1 1/2 years ago, the end result wasn't pretty.

While driving home from Somis Market with some Mexican food, Mike took a speed bump head on at 40 mph in the brothers' Mercedes.

"I was talking to Bob on the cell, the music was blaring, and my girlfriend had the food on her lap," said Mike. "The beans spilled in the center console and when I went to save them, I slammed right into a parked car."

The Mercedes was totaled.

"I guess I got a little too cocky," said Mike.

Being together nearly every minute of the day can make for some anxious moments. But those usually pass quickly like afternoon summer showers.

"We don't really get sick of each other. We get in arguments, but we always just drop it right away. We will get in fist fights and a few minutes later be fine," said Bob. "We forgive each other just like that and don't hold any grudges."

The symmetry of features has translated into beautiful symmetry on the court.

"There are not a lot of drawbacks to any of it. It is great to have a twin brother," said Mike before asking: "Did Bob give the same answers?"

I know, made me laugh too! Hey I have a nice treat for you if you like. This story was written by Ms Potkey for the Ventura County Star (Mike and Bob's local newspaper). She's doing a sort of diary on the guys while they are at the US Open. If you like to read more of her stories... this is the link:http://www.insidevc.com/vcs/tennis/a...199474,00.html

They are very entertaining to read believe me!

Btw, Mike and Lisa Raymond are in the second round of the mixed, Mike and Bob are playing the second round of the mens doubs right now, Bob and Katarina Srebotnik are playing later today.....
Good luck to all!